Parsley, have you started outdoor bins using only fresh fall leaves and found them to be be productive and well populated by spring? Lots of leaves coming down here now so I'm thinking of trying it out. I've tried seeding my cooled-down hot compost with worms but have not seen a large population of worms come spring. I would have thought that the worms would love it but maybe the hot process doesn't leave much in the way of "food" for them. Any thoughts?

My overwintered outdoor bin last winter didn't break down so well because it got waterlogged. I goofed on providing enough drainage and adequate rain/snow coverage and didn't realize it for a while. I did finally get the water situation adjusted, and ran it all summer with garden clippings and some veggie scrap overflow, and just a little while ago emptied out a really good haul of VC for fall planting and top dressing.

I'm planning to restart the outdoor bin soon for the winter. I think one with just leaves would do well, maybe supplemented with some veggie scraps or other high-nutrient food. I usually do wind up with more fruit/veg scraps around the holidays, and my Worm Factory in the basement can only take so much at a time. Have not refilled the bin yet, as the fallen leaves seem slow to come down this year.

(Ultimately I'd like a wooden bin for outdoors rather than the plastic tub I've been using, but woodworking is beyond me and I haven't found a cheap local source for a suitable wood box. Have been contemplating buying a military surplus ammo box off eBay! But they're less cheap than you'd think, I guess people like them for decor...and the shipping can be pretty bad.)

I would think that previously hot composted material would be good worm food, but wouldn't last them all winter, even though the processing will be slower at cold temps. Commercial worm castings usually come from pre-composted feed stocks, but the compost is only partially "finished" when it goes to the worms, and they run the compost through the worms in a matter of days. I think a mixture of leaf types would be good - some smaller leaves that break down faster, some bigger and tougher - and whatever other scraps or garden waste are available. In a short while I anticipate broken pumpkins will be widely and freely available...

Yes my worms will be looking forward to their Halloween treats too. Re the leaves, I might just put down a loop of metal screen and fill with leaves and open to the ground and stock with some worms. I'll cover it somehow to keep out our relentless fall and winter rains. Love to experiment!

Parsley it's too bad you live so far away 'cause I could help you make a really nice wooden bin. I've made a few for myself the past few years and they have worked nicely for me. This year I'd like to put some rigid insulation around my bins to protect them from the cold. Last year I resorted to placing plastic milk jugs filled with hot water in the bins to keep them from freezing up. Last winter it got down to about minus 12C a few times. Sometimes the material around the outer edges would freeze a bit but with the water bottles the worms made it through the colder weather. They sure eat a lot slower though.

Now that my wife gave me a WB 360 I'll keep that one in the basement.

Have you ever tried doing bokashi composting to handle your overflow scraps? I have used that during the winter to deal with the stuff the worms can't handle. You can even compost dairy and meat/fish leftovers.

Thanks for the quick response,

Harry

I would so happily accept help with a home made wood bin! Alas, BC is a long haul from Philly. But I may be able to finagle some local help eventually.

Though we do get cold snaps here (especially with these "polar vortex" shenanigans that occasionally crop up) the cold is not so intense or prolonged, and my patio corner is quite sheltered in the angle of two house walls. So I'm not too concerned with needing insulation around an outdoor bin.

I never really felt the need for a bokashi setup, though I think it would be interesting to experiment with. It just seems like an unnecessary extra step in my system.

Parsley, you might be able to find a suitable pre-made wooden/plywood box that has been used for a shipping container. Try asking around at some industrial/warehouse/shipping businesses if your comfortable with that. Once these places receive the shipped item, the empty wooden container is usually just something they have to throw out.

I have been considering making a wood outdoor worm bin/planter combination. I have a 360 degree worm farm in my storage shed that provides a good amount of worm castings when I harvest them in the late spring. I would like to use the outdoor bin for worm compost. I currently have a compost barrel, void of worms. The design of the bin that I am considering is an inner chamber with a top 3 feet by 2 feet by 2 feet tall. On three sides I will have planters 8 inches high and 8 inches deep. There will be two levels of planting space that are divided from the compost chamber by a wire mesh, allowing the worms to migrate into the planters as desired. In the planters I am going to plant lettuce and other leafy crops.